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a good starting point that would solve more than one issue would be the King Headz motor mount. Stiffens up the rear BIG TIME, acts a huge motor heatsink and uses a larger bearing so you have less bearing trouble. Well worth the investment.

Anybody take a stab at stiffening up the chassis? It sure play havok on the Driveshaft in its current state.

I noticed mine is getting beat up too,and I'm not that hard on it. It's funny tho, while at Pomona in November, I was talking to one of the Traxxas drivers at their display during the NHRA Finals, and he suggested a method of stiffening the chassis. I didn't think anything of it then, as I didn't have one. NOW, as I'm reading of failures, and seeing what's happening with mine, I understand what he was talking about. I wouldn't be surprised if Traxxas came out with a brace themselves. I ordered the parts that he suggested, and should have them in a couple of days. Once I figure out what's necessary to get them mounted, I'll post pics.

heres my version of chassis brace. it eliminate the chassis flex completely. i drill a hole in the middle of the shock towers F/R.
i got the aluminum solid tube from home depot, its a little bit smaller than the center shaft diameter.

Hello Boys! I'm back from my long weekend in Vegas, and my parts were here when I got home. I took some time and sorted things, and after a couple of trips to the local nut & bolt supply I got it together. Here is the finished product. I used 2 Revo toe links, connected them together, and bolted them into the bulkhead screw mounts. That should help stiffen things up a bit.

Hello Boys! I'm back from my long weekend in Vegas, and my parts were here when I got home. I took some time and sorted things, and after a couple of trips to the local nut & bolt supply I got it together. Here is the finished product. I used 2 Revo toe links, connected them together, and bolted them into the bulkhead screw mounts. That should help stiffen things up a bit.
AB

What you need Sir is a coupling nut. They should be able to find one that small.

Nice find man. I went and checked it out early this morning and it was listed for $49.99....went back 30 minutes later and it was $39.99. So I went a head and placed an order and for a couple sets of their body clips to. LOL

For $40 you can't beat it IMO. It should be light and stiff at the same time. Plus the CF boom should be easy to find if ever need a replacement.

What you need Sir is a coupling nut. They should be able to find one that small.

Exactly, my shop is searching for one now. They have the specs. I didn't want to use the plastic, but it was all I had, and it gave me a prototype of what I needed. It's actually a long end link with the ball end cut off. The threaded ends are butted against each other so there is no movement. It's actually very stiff! I can carry the car by it!

Exactly, my shop is searching for one now. They have the specs. I didn't want to use the plastic, but it was all I had, and it gave me a prototype of what I needed. It's actually a long end link with the ball end cut off. The threaded ends are butted against each other so there is no movement. It's actually very stiff! I can carry the car by it!

AB

What I'm talking about. Hope they can find you a baggy full. LOL I have an Erevo and Emaxx and actually have a set or 2 of those toe links. I might use that mod on my Slash 4x4. =)

What I'm talking about. Hope they can find you a baggy full. LOL I have an Erevo and Emaxx and actually have a set or 2 of those toe links. I might use that mod on my Slash 4x4. =)

It works out pretty well. Its attached using the chassis mounts to the bulkhead, which are the strongest mounting points. Using those toe links and some extra hardware makes it a cheap upgrade. I went with the 7075-T6 aluminum ones because they look cool! And on my dyed chassis, the finished product will blend right in! I'll post pics when I find the nuts.

What I'm talking about. Hope they can find you a baggy full. LOL I have an Erevo and Emaxx and actually have a set or 2 of those toe links. I might use that mod on my Slash 4x4. =)

I laughed when you said a baggy full! I went to the bolt supplier and they said they could order it... but in a box of 100 minimum!!! So I bought a length of 1/4" key stock, a couple of bits, a tap, and machined one myself! I took my car out, bashed it up a bit, and NO FLEX. Before the brace, my driveshaft was getting chewed up, no more!

BTW, I looked at the site for that Axis piece, it's nice, but it's advertised as a BODY brace, not a chassis brace. Looking at where it's mounted, between the shock towers, it does nothing to stiffen the chassis, as the shock towers aren't mounted to the chassis, but to the diff housings, which are mounted to the bulkheads. It's better than nothing, and should allow some extra stability, but does not tie in the chassis where it mounts to the bulkheads, which in front, behind the bulkhead is where they have been flexing/failing. Just my 2 cents.

I kinda figured they had to order a minimum themselves and since it's not in their stock its considered a Nonstock item. So in turn they probably want(ed) to sell the whole box to ya. LOL Can only imagine what the cost of those 100 were.

Glad you got it figured out and fixed.

I'm still a firm believer that the Axis body brace will work. The problem is with an impact the force from the front bumper is sent to the chassis and the weakest point is breaking. With this it is still stiffening the front and rear making it (more) solid, and not caving in where it has on some of the broken chassis.

Just ordered the axis brace as well. Bracing to the shock towers would be very effective on a vehicle like this. Especially if you were to run aluminum towers. Doesnt matter where you brace it from, your creating a box shape with the chassis and thats whats providing the strenght. I think with the stock plastic towers you will still get flex since the towers themselves flex. BUT, probably not enough flex to allow the chassis or bulkhead to break.

What everyone has to understand is that even braced right along the top of the chassis... if hit hard enough, the chassis will find a new place to break. Braces will help, but they wont solve the problem entirely. These are plastic chassis and bulkheads. They will break eventually. The only "big" answer is to go with an RCE chassis like dreaded has.

What exactly is causing the chassis to flex in the first place? I intend to stay mainly on pavement, do I need to worry about this? Since my rally build is still in progress, I have not run it yet. I would like to be ready when the time comes.

The flex is due to the way the front bulkhead and chassis connect. Looking at it, its not boxed strong enough so combined with flexible plastic, things can flex enough to cause problems in more major collisions. Or, in particular, when you hit on one corner of the car.

Ive run more than 20 packs through mine on pavement, dirt, sand, ice, snow, rocks, grass... anything I can find. Ive cartwheeled it and crashed it and I havent broken anything. But I can see how if I hit directly on the front (like you would into a curb or a sidewalk) the little arms that connect the bulkhead to the chassis at the bottom could snap.

The flex is due to the way the front bulkhead and chassis connect. Looking at it, its not boxed strong enough so combined with flexible plastic, things can flex enough to cause problems in more major collisions. Or, in particular, when you hit on one corner of the car.

Ive run more than 20 packs through mine on pavement, dirt, sand, ice, snow, rocks, grass... anything I can find. Ive cartwheeled it and crashed it and I havent broken anything. But I can see how if I hit directly on the front (like you would into a curb or a sidewalk) the little arms that connect the bulkhead to the chassis at the bottom could snap.